Quebec organization introduces new immigrants to skiing for the first time

A group of new immigrants got a crash course in winter fun, hitting the slopes for the very first time on Sunday with Quebec organization OuiCanSki.

"I still have an adrenaline rush in me," said a participant named Olga. "I don't know if I'm tired or not. I feel like I'm sweating, but I still, I just have this euphoria of doing it the first time."

Around 50 participants hit the slopes at Ski Montcalm as part of an initiative started by Sandy Wolofsky in 2018 as a way to give back.

"I thought one of the ways, maybe, to thank my grandparents for becoming Canadian was to give back to the world of skiing," she said.

She says OuiCanSki has helped people from 31 countries learn to ski.

"I think it's great," said Gil Greenbaum from Israel. "It's very well organized. We're having a lot of fun."

Instructors are on hand to give a helping hand.

"Making sure they have the basics down as far as how to stop, how to turn and just hopefully so they have a great experience on the mountain," said Joanna Barnowski, Ski Montcalm general manager. "That's something that we value 100 per cent."

The experience costs $30, with Wolofsky saying her goal is to show newcomers that winter in Canada can be fun.

"Maybe you've never seen snow before, and often I have people who've never seen snow before," she said. "I teach them that winter and skiing and cold, if you play outside, is fun."